Genetic Angel
by Ko-chan to Ya-chan
Summary: Noah Kaiba has been funding a secret laboratory specializing in genetic research. What are his motives, and who is this being of light his experiments have given birth to? CHAPTER 3 UP!
1. Awakening

K: Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated anything... I've been busy working and have a writer's block from HELL dragging me down. (CURSE YOU HAGA!!!! [inside joke- Haga/Weevil is the 'evil fruitbat from hell' because of his ultra-squeaky voice]) -_-;

Y: She still has it. She's just had an inkling to write all week, and now she finally has enough time to try. ;

K: ^_^; Heh heh.... No idea what to write about, datte sa.... *gives a weak little victory sign* Ganbatte ne! ^_^;

Y: So are you going to try thinking up something for Chibizoo's new contest? You've got a couple of interesting ideas that would work for that... Like the 'Tenshi' one...

K: *ponders that* Hnn... Tabun desu... ^_^; If I can remember all of it. It's not exactly one-shot material, though...

Y: Evil Yuugi monologue?

K: Nah..... ; Well..... MAYBE.... That'll be the last resort option. ^^;

Y: Well, what, then?

K: Aa... Shiranai yo. I think I'll go look up that 'Tenshi' one, then see what's up. *goes to do so*

Y: *waits for a few minutes until her hikari gets back* Well? What's the verdict, aibou?

K: *silent for a moment, then cries out* I WANNA ANIMATE THAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!! THE TRAILER SOUNDS SO.... SO..... SO DAMN KAKKOII!!!! ;~;

Y: -_-; I forgot she acts like this when she reads those... ; Damn! Oh well... *clears her throat* Well, since we have no access to a camcorder and don't have moviemaking software, I guess you'll just have to write it, instead. Who knows? If you just tweaked it a little, and if it's good enough, you might be able to use it as an original novel or something....

K: *thinks about it* Or, I can use it as another original manga, once I get better at drawing...

Y: -_-; That too....

K: ^_^ Okei, then! I'll just write this! *scowls* Not like I could enter Chibizoo's contest anyway... E-mail doesn't send. -_-; *throws a pencil at the fuzzy comp and thwacks the good comp she's using right now* I don't even have internet on this one anymore... ; Damn router or something like that...

Y: Oh, Ra- someone stop her before she starts ranting again.... -_-;

Dai: *back from solitary confinement after being sick* You got it! *tapes Ko's mouth shut* Bwa ha ha ha ha... XD *winks and waves through the portal between Merodi-realm and Ko-realm* Konnichiwa, Naito-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!! ^___________________^ *runs off to go steal some cookies out of the pantry*

K: @.@; Mmph mphrg!! *glares at her yami* Rmph rphn. *sighs and tentatively starts peeling the tape off* ; *winces as the tape pulls her hair* (it's wrapped around her head, too)

Y: *clears throat* Guess that means I'm writing this one, then. ^_~

**Disclaimer:** Watashi wa bakemono desu. Bakemono don't own stuff like the rights to YGO. Bakemono can come up with ideas and share them with people who are willing to listen, but they don't get to own previously made characters. Sucks to be dead, don't it? (Bakemono = ghost[s])

**Dedications:**

- Black Chaos (*finally manages to get rid of all the tape so she can speak again* Hey Chaos-kun!! ^_^ I noticed you reviewed 'Scarlet Tears' before, so I figured you'd probably like this one, as well. It's scifi/angst/shonen ai, so... ; *coughs* Anyhoo, hope you like it! ^_^)

- Merodi no Yami (Konnichiwa!! Guess if you're reading this, you've gotten settled back at the university, ne? Is Naito annoyed by the sudden change of environment? ^^; Bet he hates the idea of having to do laundry again... XP

Naa- I just finished watching Drumline again, and was amazed at the severity of the training. Is the training really like that? Cuz' if it is... O_O; DAMN!!)

- Princess Strawberry and Yami Strawberry (Hey Hime-tachi! I know I should really be updating my other fics, but I couldn't resist this one! ^_^; *coughs and points down at her feet* As you can see, I don't really have a choice. Tenshi-Bunny chained me to the desk... -_-;)

- Sakyu (Still trying to figure out what happened to the unfinished chapter 12 of Machigai... ; Too many fic files to sort through!! The Shining Polaris is helping, though... Thanks again for sending it to me! *hugs you*)

**Jinechiku no Tenshi**

**Genetic Angel**

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**Jikken I: Awakening**

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(???)

            Kuroi.... Subete wa kuroi desu....

                        ~Black.... All is black....~

            Boku wa.... doko desu ka...?

                        ~Where.... am I...?~

            BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

            Nan desu ka? Kore wa onkyo desu...

                        ~What is it? That sound...~

            I can see something.... There- a light off in the distance! It's getting brighter with each passing moment- as if it's heading toward me. Or am I being drawn toward it?

            I don't care- as long as I somehow break free from this unending darkness. I head toward the brilliance, reaching out to grab it with my right hand. All of a sudden, the light reacts to me; shining even brighter and blinding me so that I'm forced to squeeze my eyes shut. The strange sound is getting louder now, and I can still hear the steady rhythm as the world goes white.

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(3rd person POV)

            Black leather shoes clack on the tan marble floor as two figures make their way down the corridor. One is a young man clad in a stark-white lab coat, and the other is an older male in a business suit and dark sunglasses. The younger of the pair keeps his head down, intimidated by the other's size, trying not to think about what may be hiding within his companion's inner breast pocket. He knew the man was a bodyguard for a living, and in this day and age, who knew what kinds of weapons he carried. Needless to say, he wasn't anxious to find out.

            They walked on in silence, the suited man muttering to himself every once and a while as he recieved orders through the com-link attached to his shirt collar. The lab boy was left to his own devices, opting to hug his research binder closer to his chest and silently pray that this would all be over soon. He couldn't stand having people like him around- they always made him uncomfortable, as if he had something to hide. You were left walking on eggshells whenever they were breathing down your neck, making you feel weak and helpless. Then again, he's always been subject to bullying, so feeling weak was something he's quite familiar with; though it still didn't mean he enjoyed it.

            Eventually, they reached the end of the hall; stopping in front of a steel door. The bodyguard nodded to his companion, and the other registered his unspoken order and slid his cardkey through the scanner on the right, causing the door to emit a loud hiss and slide open. They stepped through, entering a dimly lit room full of computers. A large window covered most of one wall- the one to the left of the entrance. You could plainly gaze into the room beyond; at the slight figure that lay upon the metal table, a myriad of wires wrapping themselves around his body like some twisted form of crucifiction. A sad yet beautiful scene...

            There was another hiss, followed by the steady footfalls of someone of lighter build than either of those who had come before him. Said men turned to greet the newcomer, bowing low to signify their respect. He dismissed them with a curt nod, then fixed his cool emerald eyes on the one beyond the glass. There was no need to give his attention to those unworthy underlings beside him- it was the wonderous creature he wanted.

            "Have you woken him yet?"

            The researcher stiffened, nervous at having been addressed by his superior. "Ha- hai. We began the activation process just a few minutes ago, sir."

            Even as he spoke, the figure stirred, opening startling amythyst eyes for the first time. The third man smirked, pleased with the results of his experiment. The cold aura that surrounded him caused the other two to edge away from him, and the lab boy suddenly regret ever setting the awakening process in motion. Who knows what his employer might have in store for the sentient being rousing before them... Whatever it was, he knew he wouldn't want to be in its place- that look in the man's eyes made a chill run down his spine.

            "Let me see him." the third man commanded, and the young researcher was forced to comply, entering the password to open the door between the two rooms.

            The man grinned ferally, stepping through and venturing forth into the world of white the creature lie in. As the door slid shut once more, the lab boy frowned. He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all.

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(???)

            Shiroi. Banji wa shiroi desu. Kore wa basho desu ka?

                        ~White. Everything's white. What is this place?~

            I try to move, only to find I am tangled in a web of multicolored threads. I tug on them experimentally, wincing as the ones near my wrists detach from my body and hang limply from the ceiling. How odd... I sit up, inspecting the areas the strands had previously been; tiny red marks remained, and when I ran my fingers over them, the same sensation I had felt before jolted through me and I instantly drew my hand away.

            Looking up from my own flesh, I took in my surroundings; white went on forever, and there was only one other person with me in the room. He, too, was wrapped in the threads, staring at me and meeting my gaze. His hair was bushy and made up of many colors, his eyes a deep violet that held many strange feelings within them. Large, fluffy white things were somehow attached to his back, and after searching my memory, I came to the conclusion they were wings. Did this mean everyone had them? 

            Curious, I slid off the pedastal, moving toward the boy on shaky legs. He did the same, never losing eye-contact with me. We met in the middle, looking each other over; every move I made, he would match it. Gulping, we touched our hands together, and I was surprised that he could feel so cold. When I had felt my own skin, it had been cool, but not as cold as this- did that mean something was wrong with him? 

            A strange sound startled me, coming from my left; a hole had opened up, revealing another boy in white clothes and sea green hair. He was smiling, and he was nearly as pale as the other boy and I were. One thing was different, however- he didn't have wings like my companion. After a few moments, I realized he wasn't going to harm us, and turned back to my friend, staring at him sadly.

            "What's wrong?" the green-haired boy asked me, and I decided he would be able to answer my questions.

            "Who is this? Why does he feel so cold?"

            He looked confused for a moment, then smiled at me again, shaking his head. "That is you."

            "Me?" I frowned, perplexed. "How can I be seeing myself if I know for a fact I'm right here?"

            He sighed, trying to find the words to explain this phanomenon to me. "Well, what you're seeing is a reflection made by the glass. You can't actually touch it, and it doesn't feel anything, like we do. It is simply a mirrored image of yourself. See?"

            He stepped in front of the 'glass', and all of a sudden, a fourth boy appeared, looking exactly like him. The boy moved his arm, and the 'reflection' matched him with the other. Satisfied with his explanation, he stepped back, waiting for my reaction. I nodded absentmindedly, still mystified by this strange 'mirror', then turned to the boy in white.

`           "Kimi wa dare desu ka?" I questioned, motioning to him, then pointed to myself. "Boku wa dare desu ka?" (Who are you? Who am I?)

            His smile returns, and he bows slightly. "Watakushi wa Kaiba Noa desu. Doozo yoroshiku." (I am Noah Kaiba. Pleased to meet you.)

            He rose, then continued. "Ohayo gozahimasu, subject 83.... Or shall I say, 'Welcome to this world'? My perfect being.... My genetic angel..."

            He leaned in, and for some reason, I felt as if something was terribly wrong. His eyes were dark and a strange emotion loomed within them, making me want to back away even though my body refused to listen- I was frozen where I stood. His warm breath tickled my face as he whispered his final phrase.

            "......My Yuugi."

            And then his soft lips met mine.

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K: *cackling* Heh heh! OH YEAH! Now THAT'S something you don't see every day! Not only is Noah in the fic, but he's got his eye on Yuugi! XD

Y: o_O; No more soda for you, aibou.... You go all crazy and now you're even splitting up Yami and Yuugi!! ;

Yami/Yuugi: *gasp in horror and cling to each other* Zettai!

K: *sweatdrops* Iyada!! That's not it at all! I just figured Noah would need a _reason_ for creating Yuugi in his research lab (*coughs* 2 reasons, actually... He's being a warped, sadistic bastard again... -_-; *Noah laughs maniacally in the background*) and besides, every story needs a good antagonist, ne? Noah's PERFECT for the part! ^_____________^

Noah: *shines his nails on his suit* Why, thank you! I _do_ try.... ^_~

Nahkti: *growls* Egotistical sonuva.... *reaches for his trusty flamethrower usually attached to his belt, only to find it's not there* NANI?! *scowls* Ahmose...

Ahmose: O_O; What?! Dun look at _me_!! I didn't take it this time, I swear!!

Nahkti: *glares* Then who the hell _DID_?!

Noah: *smirks and levels the flamethrower at them* Looking for _this_?

Nahkti/Ahmose: *share a glance* O_O; O_O; Crap.


	2. Forbidden Confrontations

K: Hey there, people!! ^_^ Guess what?! I've decided to adapt this into another original manga! ^_^ I have the first 4 or so chapters planned out, but I still need to think up characters to replace all the YGO peoples... ; I have no idea what I want them to look like, either. ; All I know is that it'll be a Scifi/Action/Shonen ai/Angst thriller! @.@; It's gonna take me a while- I know that much.... -_-;

Y: *pokes her* What about "Tomodachi", "Nexus", and "White Dream"?

K: *shrugs* Dai is a nuisance and keeps drawing on my face when I'm sleeping, I still haven't written a main script for Nexus and need to edit the characters a little, and White Dream lasted a whole of 4 pages since I started it last year when I was bored. In other words, the first 2 are on hold and the other got scrapped. Not to mention ramen spilled all over the only existing copies of those 4 pages of White Dream... ;

Y: -_-;

K: ANYHOO, that's enough of that. In order to know what I should draw for my manga when the time comes, I must continue the fic version and thus, start this chapter. Hope you enjoy!! ^__________________^ *double peace signs*

Y: -__-; *sighs* Who gave her rootbeer again? I gotta know so I can go write him out of my will before aibou kills us all...

Dai: *pokes her* Ne- aren't you dead already? What's the point of having a will?

Y: *whaps him* Quiet, you. This is fanfic-land; logic doesn't exist here, so stop pointing it out!!

Dai: *pouts, rubs his head, then runs away to go get an ice pack for it*

**Disclaimer:** I dun own YGO. I do, however, own the plotline of this fic and the manga I'm making that's adapted from it. DON'T STEAL OR I'LL BE FORCED TO SEVERELY HURT YOU AND SUE YOUR ASS!!! *coughs* Thank you. ^____^

**Dedications:**

- Yami-Yugi3 (-_-; It's a fanfic, Yami. Like how they act it out in the movies? Just chill- Yuugi's a professional, and besides, he said that Noah didn't put his tongue in. ^_~)

- Anime the Fallen Angel (Oh, they might come in sooner or later... Especially Seto, since Noah's his sadistic 1/2 brother.... ^_^; *whispers* To tell you the truth, I haven't really thought that far ahead yet! ^^; I know what I want Noah's big plan to be, and have planned out chapters 2-3, but other than that, I still have yet to think up... ;)

- Ran Hoshino (Hey Ran-chan! ^_^ Yeah, Noah's pretty much freaking everyone out around here... ^_^; He keeps stalking Mokuba, Seto is in a straight jacket so that he won't be able to throw the kitchen knives and other random blunt objects at him, and Yami refuses to let Yuugi out of his sight. Including in the bathroom. ^_^; Poor Yuugi...)

- Klonoa (Yeah, it's kinda my first real shot at scifi, so it's understandable if people think it's "different" from what they usually read. Then again, not very many people write scifi YGO fics, and I think that's a shame, since scifi is one of my favorite genres. That's partially why I decided to finally write this. [The other reason being that I didn't want to let this rare beauty of an idea go to waste! ^_~] As for Yami meeting Yuugi, he won't be for a while... At least, not until after chapter 3. ^_^; I'm not quite sure when to have them meet- this thing basically writes itself when I brainstorm, and I've only gotten to chapter 3 in the brainstorming department... ^^;)

- DJ Moves (^_^; Sorry about that- I tend to go ballistic whenever I really get into writing something. As for the confusion... ^_~ I planned that. Adds a sweet sense of suspense and mystery, ne? XD)

- Kyoto Project (Hey Genj', Kura, and Tsurugi! ^_^ So glad you guys like it so far! As for this 'KOS-MOS' person, I'm afraid I have no clue what you're talking about. I REALLY need to break down and rent/buy Xenosaga, I guess... ^_^; Then again, I still haven't beaten "Pinky" Emperor Doel on the first CD of Legend of Dragoon, so... ; Still haven't beaten KH either... -_-; I'm a crappy gamer...)

- Silver Draggon (*blink blink* There you people go- saying we're funny again... And we all have absolutely _no idea_ what you're talking about... *Noah and Nahkti fight over possession of the flamethrower in the background, and Ahmose gets fried when one of them accidentally pulls the trigger* Ahmose: [covered in soot] *blinks and coughs* Malik: *sighs and slaps his hand over his eyes at the idiocy of his yami* You're supposed to dodge, baka! Ahmose: *blinks and wipes his face* You mean like Neo from The Matrix? *imagines himself dressed up in leather, taking dodging lessons from Keanu Reeves and drools* Malik: *growls and knocks him out with a frying pan, then drags him away* [throughout this exchange, Ko remains oblivious as ever, just sitting there in front of the computer and wondering why everyone keeps saying she's funny]) [P.S.- I finished book 1 of Mou Hitori. The story continues in book 2, labeled as "Mou Hitori no Jinkaku"... ^_~ It's not the end!]

**Jinechiku no Tenshi**

**Genetic Angel**

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**Jikken II: Forbidden Confrontations**

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(Yuugi)

            It's been a while since I first came to this strange world. I have been taken to a room I am to call my own, filled with many light colors where I feel much warmer and safer than within the room of white. Noa-kun treats me very well, and visits me nearly every day. I'm not sure what exactly a day is, or what it means, but he always says "I'll be back in a few days", so I guess it's a form of time or something. There's a device for keeping time in my room- Noa called it a 'clock'. It has 12 strange markings on it and 3 arrows that spin around and around; one fast, one a little slower, and another that seems to take forever to go around the circle. There isn't really much to do when he's away, so I usually just stare at it and watch the arrows race each other with their constant clicking sound. It gets boring after a while, since the little red one always wins.

            When I want to do something else, I look at the pictures in the books Noa-kun gave me. Sometimes, if I ask, he reads the books to me, since I don't know what the many lines mean. My favorite is the one about the dragon people who fight the wing people. Even though the wing people lose, one of them gets away and continues to live in hiding. Years later, though I don't understand what this 'year' thing is, he comes back and finds that there is no one else left for him to fight. Only a few 'humans' are there, and instead of fighting them, he helps them by 'breeding' with them, whatever that is, and the world is able to go on again. Datte, because he used his energy to help the humans, the last wing person goes to sleep forever because of something called 'death'. Noa-kun always stares at me a long time when he reads that part, especially that one time he asked me if I would have done the same thing for him. I said I didn't know, and he left soon after that. He hasn't said anything about it since, even though he's read me the story many more times.

            I walked over to the white table that takes up one corner of the room, then searched through the small stack of books until I spotted the familiar cover of the 'Winglies' story. I picked it up, flipping through the pages until I found a picture of the last wing person. He has silvery hair and red eyes, and the way he looks out at me from the page makes me feel cold. I closed the cover, frowning; he doesn't seem like someone who would help anyone- especially people who did nothing to help his family when they lost to the dragon people. Maybe he was really nice at heart?

            I sigh and climb onto my bed, snuggling under the light green covers. It's silly, really- thinking about things like that. Noa-kun's the only one here besides me, so what does it matter if the people in the book are nice or not? Noa-kun keeps me safe and brings me anything I need, and that's all that matters. He takes good care of me and is very kind, except the times I make him mad or when he has that scary look in his eyes. He gets up and leaves when I make him angry, but when he has that look in his eyes, he smiles a lot and likes to press his lips to mine. I always feel strange when he does that- like all I want is for him to stop and go away. 

            I told him what I thought once; he ran out the door and didn't come back for a long time. I waited and waited, but he still didn't come. I remember being very sad- he was the only one I had to talk to, and the only one who could care for me since I was supposed to stay in my room all the time. I wanted more than anything for him to come back; to say I was sorry for making him angry and that I would never say anything like that again. I fell asleep thinking that, hoping he'd return, and when I woke up, he was there beside me. He smiled down at me, and I wrapped my arms around his waist and cried. He told me he was sorry for acting that way, and that he'd never leave me for that long again. So far, he's kept his word.

            The slow arrow has gone around the circle 4 times since he last came, but I'm not surprised. He's been gone for even longer, than this, though never as long as that one time. I'm sure that if I wait a little longer, I'll see him again. I decide to sleep, since time always seems to pass faster that way, and I hope that when I open my eyes again, Noa-kun will be here, waiting for me to wake.

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(3rd person POV)

            Bakura Ryou paced back and forth in the control room, running things over in his mind. His head was filled with countless questions of which he knew no answer, and it was driving him crazy. Things like "What happened to subject 83?" and "If he's gone, then why am I still here?" After all, if the project had come to a close, then he'd have gotten word that they no longer needed him there, right? What was his employer planning by creating such a being, anyway? Had he unknowingly assisted him in some sort of twisted ploy for God-Knows-What?

            He knew he'd been taking a big risk by signing onto this job, but he couldn't resist- it was too good of a chance to pass up. This had been every geneticist's dream- able to test his theories and work unrestricted by laws and morals of so-called 'civilized' society. Oh, he knew it was illegal; it had LIFE SENTENCE written all over it. However, in a world where a 16 year old genetics genius went unnoticed, he had no choice but to take the job if he wished to delve further into the world of science. Now, after he'd completed the task assigned to him, he wondered if he'd made the right decision.

            //Something's going on... Something _big_.... Why else would there be such tight security? I mean, I'm stationed in an _underground lab_ for Kami's sake! Datte- the main question is, why would they want to design a flawless being stemmed from a description in a faerie tale? Is Kaiba-sama some whacked Grimm Brothers otaku?//

            He stops, a brief hiatus from his pacing, and sighs. "This doesn't make any bloody sense. None at all. If he were breeding a superhuman of some kind for use in warfare, why take such care to make him slight and fragile? Why is he made to be Kaiba-sama's age, and what exactly happened to them, anyway? I haven't heard about either of them since senpai had him moved to that new room addition in the East Sector of the compound...."

            The lab boy turns his gaze to a laminated map tacked up near the door, his eyes sweeping over the path to the room in the East Wing. "Maybe," he muttered, "he's still there..."

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(Ryou)

            I stole down the dimly lit corridor, on the alert for any noises that could mean someone else was coming. I've been lucky so far- no one seems to be patrolling this late at night, which means I'll have better chances of making it all the way to the room. I stick to the shadows just in case, pausing regularly to strain my ears for foreign footfalls and the whirring of security cameras. I'm not sure if they use night vision or infrared or what, but I hope against hope they can't see me clearly. It probably would've been better if I had shut them off or something, but that would've alerted them of my intrusion and besides, I'm a geneticist, not a hacker, dammit. Though maybe I should learn how... It'll probably come in handy at some point, ne?

            Shaking those thoughts from my head, I focus on the task at hand. According to the map, the door to the room in question should be just up ahead... There! A white outline of a door- that means the lights must be on; is Kaiba-sama there?! I press my ear up against the cold metal, trying to figure out what might be going on within. All I could make out was steady, slow breathing, and I guessed that only one person was in the room. That means they must have fell asleep with the lights on or something- there's a good chance it could be subject 83, since none of the guards would ever do such a thing. Perfect.

            I slide my cardkey through the slot to the right and the door hisses open, blinding me with light. As my eyes adjust, I spot the beautiful creature nestled safely in bed. A moment later, he stirs, sitting up and rubbing his eye sleepily as he regards me in his slumber-induced stupor. I gulp, wondering how he'll react, and am surprised as he  brightens and smiles. He slips out from under the covers and makes his way over to me, grasping my hands.

            "Sugoi! Hajimemashite? Boku no namae wa Yuugi desu. Doozo yoroshiku!" he chirped, clearly ecstatic by my sudden appearance. (Wow! How do you do? My name is Yuugi. Nice to meet you!)

            "D-doozo... Ano... Watashi no namae wa Bakura Ryou desu. I'm a scientist who helped create you..." (Ditto... Um... My name is Ryou Bakura.)

            He frowned, puzzled. "Create me? What's a scientist? Are there more people like you out there?"

            I sweatdropped, not sure how to answer. "A scientist is someone who experiments with things and tries to understand the universe we live in. There are many scientists in the world, but not all of them do the same things I do..."

            "Experiments?" he blinked, then shook his head and grinned. "Amazing... So there are really more people in this world other than Noa-kun and I?"

            What? What does he mean by that?! Kaiba-sama didn't really tell him that, did he...?

            "Of course there are!" I exclaim, then point at the small pile of books on the marble table. "Who else would have been able to write all those books? Haven't you noticed none of them say 'written by Kaiba Noa' on them?!"

            He blinks and glances at the table, then turns back to me. "I don't understand the lines. Noa-kun can read them, but he hasn't taught me how to yet..."

            Could it be that he keeps him illiterate on purpose? With knowledge comes power, right? Subject 83- no, _Yuugi_, is just an innocent victim. What could Kaiba have in mind?

            "I see. I should go... I'm sorry to have barged in and awakened you, Yuugi-san..." I stated, turning to go. I have to think about all this, and I can't do it with anyone distracting me.

            I step toward the door as it hisses open once more, then go rigid as a hand wraps around my wrist. "You'll come back again soon, won't you?"

            He's just like a child... I smile down at him over my shoulder and nod. "I'll try."

            He lets his hand drop, and I pass through the doorway. It automatically shuts behind me, and I make my way toward the exit, heading home; _above_ ground. The only real way to figure this out is to sleep on it; dreams are your subconscious' way of showing you what's really going on in your head, and sometimes, you can find an answer.

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(3rd person POV)

            As the white-haired researcher strolls away from the test subject's room, a piece of high-tech machinery whirrs and positions itself so that it can see his retreating figure. It magnifies the image, comparing his face to records of all the people in Japan until it finds a perfect match and relays it back to the control panel high above.

            Emerald eyes narrow and flash angrily as they fix their gaze on the incoming footage, and their owner snatches up the phone beside him. He punches a series of buttons and waits impatiently for the other to pick up. A loud yawn sounds on the other end of the line, then promptly cuts short as the first clears his throat in annoyance.

            "Ha- hai! What is it, sir?"

            His eyes never leaving the monitor, the teen replies, "Kimo- you qualify as an assassin, right? I have a job for you..."

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K: Yeek! Noah's planning on getting rid of Ryou! ; What will he do?!

Y: -_-; You already know, remember? So do Da-chan and Mashida, for that matter...

K: *voice dripping with sarcasm* Well gee, thanks _ever_ so much for ruining the suspense, Ya-chan. -_-

Y: It's in the job description.

K: What? No it's not... There isn't even a job description in the _first_ place!

Y: *holds up piece of paper entitled 'Yami job description'* Is too.

K: *twitch twitch* You wrote that yourself. See?! It's YOUR handwriting!!

Y: *lying through her teeth* No it's not! THIS is my handwriting, aibou.... *holds up paper covered in sloppy hieroglyphs*

K: *twitch twitch twitch* That's AHMOSE'S when he's hyped up on SUGAR!!! STOP LYING ALREADY!!

Y: Oh, really? *tosses paper and gets one with a bunch of scribbled kanji and hiragana on it* Well then, THIS is mine! ^__^

K: ; Oh, for the love of-!!! That's TAKAO'S!!!

Y: *tosses paper and picks up one covered in Elfish* Well, THIS is mine! ^_^

K: -___________-;

Link: *blinks* Now where the hell did that love letter to Sheik go? Shit- I really hope Princess Teme (Zelda) didn't find it... She'll use it as blackmail for sure!! *spazzes and runs around, frantically looking for the letter, which happens to be in Ya's hands at the moment*


	3. Disposal

K: Well, I can't think of how to start my mass o' work right now, so I figured I'd let myself unwind a bit by writing another chappie first. ^_~ Gomen for taking so long- I've been really busy….

Y: Busy chatting online with your boyfriend, you mean… -_-

K: *blush* Urusai, Ya-chan…

Y: *grumbles and stalks off to go find Nahkti's stolen flamethrower*

**Disclaimer:** I dun own YGO. I DO, however, own the story's plot, so DON'T STEAL IT!!! *coughs* Thank you.

**Dedications:**

- GQSammy (Heh heh… ^^; I'm honored you think so. Although I bet if you put your mind to it, you could write one just as well. ^_~)

- Kleptomaniac Can Opener (Yes, Noah _is_ a big meanie, isn't he? Sadistic little bastard… I can't help but like him… XD)

- Anime the Fallen Angel (Meh- mine are too. Doesn't help that my tablet refuses to work, either… X.X; As for Seto, Yami, and Katsuya, dun worry- I've got all that planned. ^_~ BUT it's not gonna be that easy. Not when super-smart bastard Noah is around! XD)

- Ran-chan (Believe me- they've tried. They were too busy bickering to pay attention to what they were doing and ended up falling into their own trap while Noah sat on his ass and laughed at them. -_-; As for a resurrection of Ryou, that would be kind of hard, since that would be in the supernatural shaman category, and this is scifi… ^^; *shakes her head* Ah well, doesn't matter. You'll find out what happens soon enough.)

- Silver Draggon (Still no piccy… ;~; Hell, I wouldn't even be able to type in my e-mail password anyway, since the keyboard to the comp w/Internet is all screwed up… X.X; I need to get that fixed….)

**Jenechiku**** no Tenshi**

**Genetic Angel**

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**Jikken**** III: Disposal**

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(Ryou)

            I wandered through that bloody _labyrinth_ of a lab for at least an hour, trying to find the door, and somehow, I managed to make it out. Now I'm searching for my car, which seems lost in the sea of black 300Ms. I've tried just about everything- I've even set off the panic button and tried to follow the sound, but alas, I'm stumped. The siren rebounds off the walls, which makes it seem as if every car other than my own is the source of the disturbance. Thoroughly exhausted from the inane game of cat and mouse, I decide to simply call a cab. I can pick up the damn car later.

            15 minutes later, not to mention around $30 poorer, I found myself at the doorstep of Mama-san's Apartment Complex. Just because I'm a hot-shot science whiz doesn't mean I can afford an actual house. As for the shiny 300M, it's a company car- I don't legally own an atom of paint on that thing. Shaking my head, I open the iron gate with the key I had been given when I first moved here, stepping into the tiny lobby and heading toward the elevator. Once inside, I pressed the button for level 5, leaning back against the wall and waiting for it to reach the floor I'd requested. 

Technically, it should have been level 4, but because of superstitious beliefs, most buildings this high exclude a fourth floor, going straight from 3 to 5. 4 is supposed to be an omen of death, which is considered very bad luck- especially in the home. The 9th floor is supposedly dangerous too, since 'kuu' is 'suffering', but that's a different story. This place doesn't have a 9th floor anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter.

            The elevator shudders to a halt, its doors opening with an overzealous 'bin-bon'. Sighing, I trudged down the stained red carpet and reached the door to unit 53. Upon opening the door, I took off my jacket, tossing it on the single wicker chair in the corner of my poor-excuse for a living room. Heading to the kitchen, I opened the cupboard and pulled out a pack of instant udon, setting a kettle on the stove and waiting for the water to boil. Tossing the plastic wrapper into the garbage under the sink, I managed to get a whiff of the rancid food caked on the dirty dishes stacked nearby and gagged.

            "I think it's time I cleaned up around here…" I muttered, holding my nose with one hand and turning on the faucet with the other.

            It was useless to try and scrub them now, so I decided to let them soak in soapy water for a while before attempting to clean them. By the time I was finished, the teakettle was whistling bloody murder, and I nearly burned my hand trying to pick it up by the handle. Cursing under my breath, I grabbed the dingy cow-print oven mitt and carefully poured the searing water into the Styrofoam bowl. Tearing open the packet of seasoning, I sprinkled dehydrated onions and wakame on top, turning the water brown.

            Poking my dinner with a pair of chopsticks, I picked up the bowl of soup and turned toward the entrance to my bedroom, ready for a night of surfing the net and checking my e-mail. That is, until I bumped into a rather chiseled chest clad in a classic black suit. Jerking my head upward, I met the eyes of the intruder, and suddenly felt an icy lump in the pit of my stomach.

            "Konbanwa," (good evening) the man smirked, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'll have to kill you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(I was tempted to leave you there, but…)

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            My eyes widened, and my mouth went dry. I backed away from him, horrified as he stepped closer, reaching into his jacket for what was probably a gun of some kind. Biting my lip, my eyes darted around, searching for a way to escape. There was only one way out, and the man in front of me was blocking it. If only there was a way I could distract him somehow…

            My back met the wall, jerking me to a halt. The udon in my hands sloshed around violently, the broth splashing some on my hands and making me wince. That's when I realized that there _was_ a way to get past him- it had been in my hands all along.

            Glancing up at my assailant, I noted he'd brought out a sleek silver pistol and was now aiming it at my head. Gulping, I narrowed my eyes; this was it. Either I did this now, or else I'd be just another smear on the red carpet beneath our feet. I decided to take my chances.

            In one fluid movement, I threw the bowl of instant noodles in his face, blinding him as the blistering broth stung his eyes. He reeled back, clawing at his face, and I slipped past him, flinging open the door and racing down the corridor toward the emergency staircase. A minute later a shot rang out behind me, and a bullet whizzed past my head. He was on my tail again.

            "Bloody perfect…" I growled, gritting my teeth.

            I'd hoped the soup would've held him up long enough for me to escape, but today just didn't seem to be my day. Another bullet embedded itself into the wall beside me as I stopped to open the door to the stairs, and I nearly tripped down the first flight of them as adrenaline tore through my veins. Running as fast as I possibly could, I took the steps 4 or 5 at a time, barely keeping my balance. I finally reached the bottom floor, colliding with the door because of my momentum. I frantically turned the handle, pulling it open, and ducked as yet another bullet collided with the doorframe. 

            Wasting no time, I bolted through the exit, turning and tearing down the empty streets. I silently cursed the fact I chose to live in a somewhat more secluded area of Domino, since I could've gotten help if I'd lived in the heart of the city. Here, however, there was no one around to hear me even if I did try to call for help. I was on my own.

            With no real destination in mind, I wove as complex a path as I could, trying to lose him. Every time I thought I finally had him, I'd hear his heavy footfalls behind me once more, and was forced to double my efforts. I could feel myself wearing down, adrenaline soon being the only thing keeping me going. I was exhausted, but the sheer will to survive kept my body moving, even though I couldn't feel my legs anymore.

            I took a sharp left, hoping to throw him off, only to stumble into a dead end. I turned around, intending to go back and try another path, but stopped cold as my attacker's silhouette appeared in the entryway. I held my breath and shrunk into the shadows, hoping he wouldn't see or hear me, and waited for him to make a move. 

He stepped forward, first one foot, then the other, peering into the darkness, trying to spot me. Something close to me gleamed in the moonlight, and I realized with a start that it was, in fact, my hair. The white made the light bounce off it, making it glow in the dark. That meant if I could see it, so could he. 

Which meant, basically, that I was at the end of my rope. He had found me, and there was absolutely nowhere to run. There was no bowl of hot soup to save my skin this time- I was done for. 

            His shoes scuffed the cement, making a crunching noise every once in a while when he stepped on a discarded newspaper or soda can. I could hear him chuckling as he approached, until, finally, he stepped into the moonlight and I could see the smirk on his face as he pointed his gun at me once more.

            "Well, well, you've given me quite a hard time, haven't you? Don't think I've forgotten that little stunt you pulled back at your apartment, you little smartass…"

            He cocked the pistol, switching it to a loaded chamber. "I wasted a lot of ammo on you, too… I assure you, though, this time I won't miss."

            I clenched my eyes shut, waiting for the end to come. I heard a bullet to the head would kill you instantly, so if I was lucky, it wouldn't hurt too bad… The shot rang out, and a rush of pain overloaded my senses. I cried out, clenching my right hand over the wound. 

The sick bastard… Just because I'd given him a hard time, he'd decided to make my death agonizingly slow. He planned to disable every limb, one by one, starting with my left arm. After that, well, I had no idea what he was going to do… Either he'd kill me, or torture me further.

"Tsk tsk… You've had your fun… Now it's _my turn… Quick and painless isn't an option anymore, you little brat…" he hissed, sending another bullet in my right leg._

            I cried out again, tears in my eyes. The pain was unbearable- worse than anything I could have imagined. That last shot had gone straight through the bone, shattering it and continuing on out the other side, digging itself into the pavement. Simply _breathing on it sent a new wave of pain washing over me, and my arm throbbed beneath my hand. I have no idea how I'm still conscious. I should've passed out long ago._

            I saw him draw nearer through my half-lidded eyes, a haze of red blurring my vision. He crouched down, inspecting my condition, then nodded.

            "Looks like you've had enough. Too bad- I wanted to play a little longer… Oh well, no skin off my back." He shrugged, pointing the gun at my head. "Sayonara, little smartass…"

            I clenched my eyes shut, feeling the cold metal press up against my forehead. I tried to imagine who would've wanted me dead in the first place, and a single image popped into my head- Kaiba Noa. He must have found out about my meeting with Yuugi somehow. I hadn't been clever enough.

            After a moment, I wondered why the gun hadn't gone off yet. A warm, sticky substance ran down my uninjured leg, prompting me to open my eyes. There was a shocked expression on the man's face, and the source of the blood came from his mouth. Looking down, I saw the tip of a dagger was embedded in his chest- straight through his heart.

            The knife tip disappeared back into his torso, and he slumped over backward, dead. I glanced up at the owner of the blade, my savior, and managed to stutter my thanks. He snorted in response, brushing his bangs from his face. 

He knelt, pressing a hand to my shattered leg, causing me to scream in pain. He used his other hand to cover my mouth, focusing his attention on the hole in my leg. I felt the pain lessen to a dull throb, and reopened my eyes to see what he had done.

            The hole was gone. All that remained was a blood-stained circle cut out of my pants where the bullet had gone through, and a faint red mark on my skin. I looked up at him in awe, but he ignored me, moving to heal my arm as well. I had yet to see his face, as he hadn't stepped into the moonlight long enough for me to get a glimpse of him. 

            When he did, I couldn't believe my eyes. He looked exactly like Yuugi.

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K: YATTA!!! ^_^ I finally finished chapter 3!! *dances around*

Readers: Yatta!! She didn't kill Ryou!! *put away their weapons*

K: *sweatdrops* Gee, don't _I_ feel loved… -_-;

Readers: *ignore her and huggle poor, frightened Ryou, congratulating Yami for saving him*

K: -_-; I'm just gonna go start on my work now, thanks…


End file.
